London
Things to do in London with kids: best attractions and family tips
Families with kids aged 4–12 should build the day around one paid headliner plus free museums and a park: the Science Museum and Natural History Museum cost nothing, the London Eye and Tower of London need booking. Under-5s do best with the Transport Museum and a short boat ride. Rain changes the plan, not the day.
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Key facts
- Free and best for kids
- Science Museum, Natural History Museum, V&A, British Museum, National Gallery, Hyde Park playgrounds
- Book ahead
- London Eye, Tower of London, London Transport Museum, West End shows (2026 estimate)
- Typical paid ticketcheck
- £20–£40 per adult for the big headliners; child rates usually lower (2026 estimate)
- Best ages split
- Under 5: Transport Museum, London Zoo, parks. 6–12: Science Museum, Tower, Eye, Shrek's Adventure
- Getting around
- Tube and bus; under-11s travel free with an adult on Tube, DLR and bus
- Best months
- Apr–Oct for parks and boat trips; school holidays are busiest and priciest
- Rainy-day default
- South Kensington: three free museums within 5 minutes of each other
Top picks
London is unusually good for families because the biggest museums are free and the transport network removes the need for a car. The trade-off is queueing: book timed slots for anything paid, and start at opening time.
For a first visit with children, pick one paid headliner per day and fill the rest with free museums, parks and a boat ride. That keeps the cost down and the walking manageable.
- Book the paid headliner for the first slot of the day.
- Pair one indoor museum with one outdoor stop so nobody melts down.
- Keep one afternoon free for a park and an early dinner.
| Place | Price (2026 estimate) | Hours | Age fit | Indoor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Science Museum | Free (paid IMAX and simulators) | Daily, usually 10:00–18:00 | 5–14 | Yes |
| Natural History Museum | Free | Daily, usually 10:00–17:50 | 3–12 | Yes |
| London Transport Museum | Paid, around £20 adult | Daily, usually 10:00–18:00 | 3–10 | Yes |
| London Eye | Paid, around £30–£40 adult | Daily from about 11:00, later in summer | 6+ | Partly |
| Tower of London | Paid, around £35 adult | Tue–Sat, usually 09:00–17:30 | 7+ | Partly |
| London Zoo | Paid, around £30 adult | Daily from about 10:00 | 2–12 | Partly |
| Hyde Park and Diana Memorial Playground | Free | Park open daily; playground daytime | 1–10 | No |
| Southbank Centre and riverside | Free to walk | Riverside open all day | All ages | No |
Prices and hours change; confirm on the operator's site before you go.
Prices and hours
The national museums in South Kensington and Bloomsbury are free to enter, which is why they anchor most family days. Special exhibitions, IMAX screenings and simulators inside them are paid and should be booked separately.
Paid attractions cluster around £20–£40 per adult, with child tickets usually cheaper and under-3s often free. Family tickets can save money at the Zoo and the Transport Museum. Always check the operator's own page for the day you plan to visit, because school-holiday hours differ from term time.
| Cost band | What it buys |
|---|---|
| Free | Science Museum, Natural History Museum, V&A, British Museum, National Gallery, parks, Southbank walk |
| £10–£20 | Smaller attractions, some boat trips, museum extras |
| £20–£40 | London Eye, Tower of London, London Zoo, Transport Museum |
| £40+ | Family tickets, theatre seats, combined attraction passes |
Getting there
Almost everything on this list sits on the Tube. South Kensington (Piccadilly, District and Circle lines) puts the Science Museum, Natural History Museum and V&A within a five-minute walk of the exit. Westminster and Embankment cover the Eye, the river and the Southbank.
Buses are slower but let kids see the city, and they are cheaper than the Tube for a family. Under-11s travel free with a paying adult on Tube, DLR and bus services. A river boat between Westminster and Tower Pier is a sightseeing trip and a transport leg in one.
- South Kensington: three free museums, one station.
- Westminster or Waterloo: London Eye and Southbank.
- Tower Hill: Tower of London and Tower Bridge.
- Camden Town or Regent's Park: London Zoo.
Practical tips
Start early. The free museums are calmest in the first hour and the paid attractions have the shortest queues at opening. Eat before noon or after 14:00 to avoid the worst restaurant waits.
Carry water and snacks; London prices for a quick lunch are high and children get hungry between stops. Most museums have free cloakrooms, which matters if you are carrying coats and a buggy.
Plan one indoor and one outdoor stop per day. If it rains, switch to the South Kensington museums and save the park for another day.
- Book timed tickets online; walk-up queues are long in holidays.
- Use contactless for transport; children's discounts need checking.
- Keep the last hour of the day free for a playground or the hotel pool.
When to go
April to October is the easiest window: parks, boat trips and the Southbank all work, and daylight lasts into the evening. July and August are warmest but also the busiest and most expensive, especially for hotels and theatre.
Half-term weeks and the Christmas period fill the paid attractions. If you can travel in late May, June or September, you get decent weather with smaller crowds. Winter is fine for museum-heavy trips, but short daylight limits outdoor plans.
- Best overall: late May, June, September.
- Busiest: July–August, school half-terms, Christmas.
- Cheapest hotels: January–February, outside half-term.
Questions people ask
Things to do in London with kids: best attractions and family tips?
Anchor each day on one paid headliner such as the London Eye or Tower of London, then add free museums and a park. The Science Museum and Natural History Museum cost nothing and suit ages 3–12. Book paid tickets online and start at opening time.
How much does it cost in London?
Free museums and parks mean a family day can cost almost nothing beyond transport and food. Paid attractions run about £20–£40 per adult, with cheaper child rates and family tickets (2026 estimate). Budget extra for meals, which are the biggest daily cost.
What is the best time to visit London?
Late May, June and September give the best mix of weather and smaller crowds. July and August are warmest but busiest and priciest. Winter suits museum-heavy trips, though short daylight limits parks and boat trips.
What can we do in London with kids when it rains?
Head to South Kensington, where the Science Museum, Natural History Museum and V&A sit within a five-minute walk of each other and are free. The British Museum and National Gallery are the other obvious wet-weather defaults.
Do kids travel free on London transport?
Under-11s travel free with a paying adult on Tube, DLR and bus services. Older children usually need a discounted card or contactless fare; check the current age rules on Transport for London before you travel.
Deep dive
Every source; changeable facts are marked check
Sources
- officialVisit London
- officialScience Museum
- officialNatural History Museum
- officialTransport for London
- secondaryWikivoyage – London